Aulus Terentius Varro Murena
Encyclopedia
Aulus Terentius Varro Murena (died 23 BC
) was a Roman general and politician of the 1st Century BC.
. He was well connected to the Augustan regime, with his sister, Terentia, married to Gaius Maecenas
, the prominent adviser and friend of Augustus and patron of the arts, while his half-brother, Gaius Proculeius, was an intimate friend of Augustus
during his rise to power.
Augustus dispatched Murena to lead an expedition against the Salassi
tribe of the Val d'Aosta region in the northwestern Alps
in 25 BC
. The Salassi
had proved troublesome to Roman armies using the Great St Bernard pass, which, as the shortest route from Italy to the Upper Rhine river, had become strategically vital to the Romans since the completion of Julius Caesar
's conquest of Gaul in 51 BC. The Salassi were utterly defeated and, according to Strabo
, Murena deported and sold into slavery 44,000 tribespeople. According to Cassius Dio, he sold only males of military age and only for an indenture-term of 20 years. In 24 BC, Murena established a Roman colony of 3,000 settlers in the heart of Salassi country - Augusta Praetoria Salassorum (Aosta
, Italy).
Murena was nominated to be Consul
, with Augustus, for the year 23 BC, but died shortly before his term in office began. His replacement was Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
. Shortly after Murena's death, his brother by adoption, Lucius Lucinius Varro Murena
, was accused of conspiring with Fannius Caepio against Augustus.
23 BC
Year 23 BC was either a common year starting on Saturday or Sunday or a leap year starting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Friday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
) was a Roman general and politician of the 1st Century BC.
Biography
Murena was the natural born son of Aulus Terentius Varro, and adopted brother to Lucius Lucinius Varro MurenaLucius Lucinius Varro Murena
Lucius Lucinius Varro Murena was a Roman politician who was accused of conspiring against the emperor Augustus, and executed without a trial.- Biography :...
. He was well connected to the Augustan regime, with his sister, Terentia, married to Gaius Maecenas
Gaius Maecenas
Gaius Cilnius Maecenas was a confidant and political advisor to Octavian as well as an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets...
, the prominent adviser and friend of Augustus and patron of the arts, while his half-brother, Gaius Proculeius, was an intimate friend of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
during his rise to power.
Augustus dispatched Murena to lead an expedition against the Salassi
Salassi
The Salassi were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass across the Graian Alps to Lyons, and the Great St Bernard Pass over the Pennine Alps...
tribe of the Val d'Aosta region in the northwestern Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
in 25 BC
25 BC
Year 25 BC was either a common year starting on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday or a leap year starting on Wednesday or Thursday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
. The Salassi
Salassi
The Salassi were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass across the Graian Alps to Lyons, and the Great St Bernard Pass over the Pennine Alps...
had proved troublesome to Roman armies using the Great St Bernard pass, which, as the shortest route from Italy to the Upper Rhine river, had become strategically vital to the Romans since the completion of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
's conquest of Gaul in 51 BC. The Salassi were utterly defeated and, according to Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
, Murena deported and sold into slavery 44,000 tribespeople. According to Cassius Dio, he sold only males of military age and only for an indenture-term of 20 years. In 24 BC, Murena established a Roman colony of 3,000 settlers in the heart of Salassi country - Augusta Praetoria Salassorum (Aosta
Aosta
Aosta is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard routes...
, Italy).
Murena was nominated to be Consul
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
, with Augustus, for the year 23 BC, but died shortly before his term in office began. His replacement was Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso , Roman statesman, was consul in 7 BC; subsequently, he was governor of Hispania and proconsul of Africa.In AD 17 Tiberius appointed him governor of Syria...
. Shortly after Murena's death, his brother by adoption, Lucius Lucinius Varro Murena
Lucius Lucinius Varro Murena
Lucius Lucinius Varro Murena was a Roman politician who was accused of conspiring against the emperor Augustus, and executed without a trial.- Biography :...
, was accused of conspiring with Fannius Caepio against Augustus.
Ancient
- Dio CassiusDio CassiusLucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
Roman History (ca. 130 AD) - StraboStraboStrabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
GeographicaGéographicaGéographica is the French-language magazine of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society , published under the Society's French name, the Société géographique royale du Canada . Introduced in 1997, Géographica is not a stand-alone publication, but is published as an irregular supplement to La...
(ca. 10 AD)
Modern
- Ando, Clifford, Imperial ideology and provincial loyalty in the Roman Empire, University of California Press, 2000
- Davies, Mark; Swain, Hilary; Davies, Mark Everson, Aspects of Roman history, 82 BC-AD 14: a source-based approach, Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010
- Raaflaub, Kurt A.; Toher, Mark, Between republic and empire: interpretations of Augustus and his principate, University of California Press, 1993
- Smith's Dictionary of Roman Biography and Mythology (1873)
- Swan, Michael, The Consular Fasti of 23 B.C. and the Conspiracy of Varro Murena, Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, Volume 71, pgs. 235 – 247, Harvard University Press, 1967
- Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1939
- Wells, Colin Michael, The Roman Empire, Harvard University Press, 2004